Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

शवभस्मान्वितो रुद्रः कृत्तिवासा ह्यमंगलः । पिशाचैः प्रमथैर्भूतैरावृतो हि निरंतरम्

Transliteration

śavabhasmānvito rudraḥ kṛttivāsā hyamaṃgalaḥ | piśācaiḥ pramathairbhūtairāvṛto hi niraṃtaram

Translation

พระรุทระชโลมด้วยเถ้าศพ สวมหนังสัตว์ และถูกกล่าวว่าอัปมงคล—ถูกห้อมล้อมอยู่เนืองนิตย์ด้วยปีศาจปิศาจะ ปรมถะ และภูตผีทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• शवभस्मान्वितः: smeared/associated with corpse-ashes
• शवभस्मान्वितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृसमाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शव + भस्म + अन्वित (अनु + इ धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/समाहार: शवभस्मना अन्वितः (endowed with corpse-ashes)

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृत्तिवासाः: wearer of a skin (Kṛttivāsas)
• कृत्तिवासाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/कर्तृसमाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: कृत्त्या वासः/कृत्तिवासाः (one whose garment is a skin)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• अमंगलः: inauspicious
• अमंगलः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पिशाचैः: by/with piśācas (ghouls)
• पिशाचैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रमथैः: by/with the Pramathas
• प्रमथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भूतैः: by/with spirits
• भूतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आवृतः: surrounded
• आवृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृसमाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle): ‘surrounded/covered’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• निरन्तरम्: constantly
• निरन्तरम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: continually)

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva) in baṭu-rūpa (speaking to dissuade/criticize, as a test)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra stands ash-smeared, wearing a hide, surrounded by piśācas, pramathas, and bhūtas—yet he is the still center. The spirits form a swirling perimeter while Rudra remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Piśāca
• Pramatha
• Bhūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly notions of ‘auspicious/inauspicious’ cannot measure Śiva; divine reality may appear frightening to test sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedāranātha/Kedāra-kṣetra) within the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the verse sets up a devotional test and the theme of steadfast tapas.